Coronado National Forest Proposes Changes To Motorized Travel Plan
The Coronado National Forest, located in southeast Arizona, is proposing changes to the current system of designated roads, trails, and areas on National Forest System (NFS) lands on the Santa Catalina Ranger District that are open for motorized travel. (See Proposed Action below for specific changes.)
This action is needed for the Forest to comply with the requirements of recently issued Forest Service regulations regarding management of motor vehicle use on national forests and grasslands. Management of motorized travel on roads that are not under Forest Service jurisdiction but are legally accessible to the public from NFS lands is not part of this proposed action.
Proposed Action
The Forest proposes to comply with the Rule by making the following changes to the system of designated roads, trails, and areas on National Forest System (NFS) lands on the Santa Catalina Ranger District that are open for motorized travel:
Designate 5.75 miles of the new Forest System Roads (FSRs) as listed in the following table. Maps showing the location of these roads are available for your review on the Forest's public website at Coronado National Forest - Home Page and at the District Office.
Re-route 0.95 miles of FSR 4431.
Decommission 1.27 miles of FSRs, as follows:
Prohibit motorized travel up to 300 feet off the following roads for the purpose of dispersed camping: Happy Valley Road (FSR 35) and connecting roads (FSRs 4307, 4406 and 4409; proposed FSRs 35-1 through 35-19, 4307.0.14R-1); and roads accessed by the Mt. Lemmon Highway (FSRs 1, 5, 7, 9, 9A through 9H, 10, 11, 11A, 12, 14, 19, 21, 607, 615, 750, 807, 4477). The Coronado National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan; 1986, as amended) will be amended to reflect this proposed change. Incidental parking up to one-vehicle width off the road will continue to be allowed on these roads when it is safe to do so and not otherwise restricted.
Designate spur roads by which the public may access dispersed camping at locations off Happy Valley Road. These roads will be depicted on the MVUM, which will be available to the public on the Forest website and at the District office.
Amend the Forest Plan to clarify that on the Santa Catalina District, hiking trails are closed to motorized travel.
The complete Scoping Notice and map can be found on the Forest's website at:
Coronado National Forest - Travel Management -- Proposed Action for Santa Catalina Ranger District
The Forest Service (FS) will be hosting an open house meeting on March 26, 2009, from 5 p.m. through 7:30 p.m., at the Udall Regional Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road, in Tucson. Comment forms will be available at this meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend.
The FS is accepting comments on the proposed action during a 30-day public comment period, which will end on April 15, 2009. Public comments on the proposed action will be considered by Forest resource specialists to develop alternatives and to analyze effects. Other opportunities for public involvement in the NEPA process will be offered in future meetings and document reviews.
Mail and Hand Deliver Comments To:
Ms. Laura White
Travel Management Program Manager
Coronado National Forest
300 West Congress Street
Tucson, AZ 85701
Email Comments To:
[email protected]
Put "Travel Management NEPA" in the subject line of e-mail comments. Acceptable formats are email message, MS Word (.doc), plain text (.txt), or rich text format (.rtf). Comments should include your name and address.
Fax Comments To:
(520) 388-8305 "ATTN: Travel Management NEPA"
To provide telephone or in-person comments and for further information on the project, please contact Stan Helin, Santa Catalina District Ranger at the Santa Catalina Ranger District office, 5700 N. Sabino Canyon Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85750, by phone (520) 749-8700, or contact Ms. White at (520) 388-8419. Questions on the NEPA process may be directed to Ms. Andrea W. Campbell, Forest NEPA Coordinator, at (520) 388-8352.
REMEMBER, THE COMMENT DEADLINE IS APRIL 15, 2009
JUST REMEMBER, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP RECREATION AREAS OPEN, PLEASE GET INVOLVED!
The Coronado National Forest, located in southeast Arizona, is proposing changes to the current system of designated roads, trails, and areas on National Forest System (NFS) lands on the Santa Catalina Ranger District that are open for motorized travel. (See Proposed Action below for specific changes.)
This action is needed for the Forest to comply with the requirements of recently issued Forest Service regulations regarding management of motor vehicle use on national forests and grasslands. Management of motorized travel on roads that are not under Forest Service jurisdiction but are legally accessible to the public from NFS lands is not part of this proposed action.
Proposed Action
The Forest proposes to comply with the Rule by making the following changes to the system of designated roads, trails, and areas on National Forest System (NFS) lands on the Santa Catalina Ranger District that are open for motorized travel:
Designate 5.75 miles of the new Forest System Roads (FSRs) as listed in the following table. Maps showing the location of these roads are available for your review on the Forest's public website at Coronado National Forest - Home Page and at the District Office.
Re-route 0.95 miles of FSR 4431.
Decommission 1.27 miles of FSRs, as follows:
Prohibit motorized travel up to 300 feet off the following roads for the purpose of dispersed camping: Happy Valley Road (FSR 35) and connecting roads (FSRs 4307, 4406 and 4409; proposed FSRs 35-1 through 35-19, 4307.0.14R-1); and roads accessed by the Mt. Lemmon Highway (FSRs 1, 5, 7, 9, 9A through 9H, 10, 11, 11A, 12, 14, 19, 21, 607, 615, 750, 807, 4477). The Coronado National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan; 1986, as amended) will be amended to reflect this proposed change. Incidental parking up to one-vehicle width off the road will continue to be allowed on these roads when it is safe to do so and not otherwise restricted.
Designate spur roads by which the public may access dispersed camping at locations off Happy Valley Road. These roads will be depicted on the MVUM, which will be available to the public on the Forest website and at the District office.
Amend the Forest Plan to clarify that on the Santa Catalina District, hiking trails are closed to motorized travel.
The complete Scoping Notice and map can be found on the Forest's website at:
Coronado National Forest - Travel Management -- Proposed Action for Santa Catalina Ranger District
The Forest Service (FS) will be hosting an open house meeting on March 26, 2009, from 5 p.m. through 7:30 p.m., at the Udall Regional Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road, in Tucson. Comment forms will be available at this meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend.
The FS is accepting comments on the proposed action during a 30-day public comment period, which will end on April 15, 2009. Public comments on the proposed action will be considered by Forest resource specialists to develop alternatives and to analyze effects. Other opportunities for public involvement in the NEPA process will be offered in future meetings and document reviews.
Mail and Hand Deliver Comments To:
Ms. Laura White
Travel Management Program Manager
Coronado National Forest
300 West Congress Street
Tucson, AZ 85701
Email Comments To:
[email protected]
Put "Travel Management NEPA" in the subject line of e-mail comments. Acceptable formats are email message, MS Word (.doc), plain text (.txt), or rich text format (.rtf). Comments should include your name and address.
Fax Comments To:
(520) 388-8305 "ATTN: Travel Management NEPA"
To provide telephone or in-person comments and for further information on the project, please contact Stan Helin, Santa Catalina District Ranger at the Santa Catalina Ranger District office, 5700 N. Sabino Canyon Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85750, by phone (520) 749-8700, or contact Ms. White at (520) 388-8419. Questions on the NEPA process may be directed to Ms. Andrea W. Campbell, Forest NEPA Coordinator, at (520) 388-8352.
REMEMBER, THE COMMENT DEADLINE IS APRIL 15, 2009
JUST REMEMBER, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP RECREATION AREAS OPEN, PLEASE GET INVOLVED!
